Israel: Netanyahu Requests Presidential Pardon in Corruption Trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially requested a presidential pardon in his corruption trial, claiming it is necessary to end the divisions caused by his legal troubles. He has received support from Donald Trump, who urged the Israeli president to grant such a gesture.

Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, is currently embroiled in at least three legal proceedings, none of which have reached a verdict yet.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog's office announced on Sunday that Netanyahu submitted an "exceptional request for a pardon." Herzog stated he would review the request "responsibly and seriously" after receiving all opinions.

While asserting his intention to see the trial, which began nearly six years ago, through to its conclusion to prove his innocence, Netanyahu justified his request in the name of "public interest" in a video highlighting the "immense challenges" the country faces.

Earlier this month, Trump wrote to Herzog asking him to grant a pardon to Netanyahu.

Netanyahu argued, "The continuation of the trial tears us apart internally, causing sharp divisions and intensifying fractures," amid significant political divides between his supporters and opponents. He expressed confidence that an immediate end to the trial would greatly help ease tensions and promote national reconciliation.

Defense Minister Israel Katz voiced his support for the pardon request, aiming to end the deep rift that has existed in Israeli society for a decade. In contrast, opposition leader Yair Lapid urged President Herzog not to grant a pardon to Netanyahu without him acknowledging his guilt, expressing remorse, and stepping back from political life.

In September, Herzog hinted that he might consider granting a pardon, stating that the trial "weighs heavily on Israeli society."

On Sunday evening, dozens of people demonstrated outside Herzog's residence in Tel Aviv, calling for him to reject the pardon request. Activist Shikma Bressler, a prominent opposition figure, emphasized, "We are here to explain to Herzog that we will not accept this... He must hold firm for us, for our children, and for the course of history."

Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting luxury gifts worth over $260,000 (approximately €225,000), including cigars, jewelry, and champagne, from billionaires in exchange for political favors. In two other cases, he is accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage in two Israeli media outlets.

At 76, Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime minister, having held office for more than 18 years since 1996. He announced plans to run in the upcoming elections at the end of 2026.

During his current term, which began in late 2022, his party proposed extensive judicial reforms that critics argue are intended to weaken the courts. This initiative sparked mass protests that only subsided following the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, initiated by an unprecedented attack from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Legal expert Eli Salzberger indicated that a pardon is typically granted to someone who has already been convicted; however, in 1986, President Chaim Herzog, father of the current president, pardoned two Shin Bet agents before they were tried. Salzberger noted that Netanyahu has neither acknowledged his guilt nor expressed remorse, which is usually a condition for obtaining a presidential pardon.

Despite previously opposing it, Netanyahu "could request a plea deal from the judiciary, arguing that circumstances have changed" if Herzog refuses to grant a pardon, according to Salzberger, a staunch opponent of the government's judicial reform.

Benjamin Netanyahu is the first sitting head of government in Israel's history to be indicted for corruption. In the past, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resigned in 2009 before being tried and sentenced to 27 months in prison for fraud in a separate corruption case.